J
akarta: Long distance runner Govindan Lakshmanan was disqualified on Sunday under dramatic circumstances after initially being shown to have secured a bronze medal by finishing third in men’s 10,000m race at the ongoing Asian Games here.
Lakshmanan crossed the finishing line at third but was later disqualified under IAAF Rule 163.3b (lane infringement). He was initially shown to have clocked 29:44.91s. But video footage showed that his left leg landed outside and on the left side of the innermost lane in a bend of the track.
India did lodge a protest later against the decision to disqualify Lakshmanan but the jury of appeals rejected it. ‘We lodged a protest, seeking to overturn the decision to disqualify Lakshmanan but the jury of appeals has rejected it,’ one of the officials of the Indian team told PTI.
Lakshmanan had won a gold in this event in the 2017 Asian Championships in Bhubaneswar in a depleted field. He has a personal best of 29:13.50s and was not among the firm favourites for a podium finish in the Asian Games. His best timing so far this season is 29:16.23s.